Larry French says,"I have always been drawn to the simplicity or, perhaps a better word, the purity of straightforward black and white photography. Those photographers I admired the most were, and remain today, people like, Koudelka, Iturbide and Giacomelli. Their work, and that of many others, created in me a desire, and a path to follow in order to achieve it.

People are rarely the main topic of my photographs. It is the landscapes where they once lived and the objects they leave behind that intrigue me. The people that once lived in these places may be gone now but for me the sounds of their laughter, love and grief still inhabit the air where I photograph. I find in these places and things a kind of mystery, and mystery interests me much more than beauty.

I photograph because it is the most exciting thing I know. Because it expands my world and the way I see it and teaches me, even at this late stage of my life, to see not just with my eyes, but also with my heart.

The fine American writer, Raymond Carver, once said in an interview that he wanted to keep a 3X5 card above his writing desk with just two words on it. “No Tricks”. I liked that way of thinking and so I taped those two words to the bottom of my camera. I haven’t had that camera for many years, but I still have the words."

Larry French first studied photography under Robert Heneiken and Robert W. Fichter during the early years of UCLA’s experimental photography program. Drawn to a more classic, straight forward style of photography he transferred to the Art Center College of Design where he studied off and on for several years. Deciding that he had neither the talent nor the interest to pursue commercial photography he entered the world of retail business.

However, he has continued, throughout the years, to follow his passion for photography. His work has been selected for many group exhibitions including the following;

The Liquid exhibition 2017

New York Center for Photographic Art, New York

Second annual Fine Art exhibition 2017, Online Winners

Los Angeles Center of Photography

The Architectural exhibition 2017

Southeast Center for Photography, South Carolina

The Street Photography Exhibition, 2017

Cartier Bresson Passporte Prize

The Forsaken exhibition, 2017

Southeast Center for Photography, South Carolina

The Decisive Moment exhibition, 2017

The Praxis Photographic Arts Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota

The Abstract Image exhibition, 2017

Southeast Center for Photography, South Carolina

The Juried Exhibition 2018

Midwest Center for Photography, Wichita, Kansas

The 4th annual Street Shooting Around The World exhibition

(online Gallery) 2018

Los Angeles Center of Photography

The empty places, abandoned spaces exhibition 2018

The Praxis Photographic Arts Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Contact:
frenchlarry72@gmail.com

METAMORPHOSIS by Larry French(Click on image for larger view)

HIPPOS BEACH BALL by Larry French(Click on image for larger view)

SALTON BROTHERS by Krysia Lukkason(Click on image for larger view)

Krysia Lukkason says, "My interest in photography cannot be pinpointed to a specific moment or time, but I remember quietly observing the world far back into early childhood.

Whether it was observing abstracts of the sky, or looking through a half-full two liter bottle of clear soda to see how it distorted the world, I was always absorbing the visuals around me and letting my thoughts wander into the who, what, where, why, and how. Interpretation of my surroundings evolved over time as my thoughts became more complex and my experiences grew, though the intrigue never ceased.

Photography became a natural outlet for me to take my observations and questions, and explore more deeply the inner workings of what moves me. Animals have always been a natural and magnetic source of inspiration. I’m constantly intrigued with animals that live among us. I seek connection with animals, particularly domestic ones that we bring into our everyday lives. They have unique personalities, languages, and motivations that we don’t always understand. I seek these moments and deeply enjoy documenting how animals exist in our world."

Krysia Lukkason grew up in Santa Rosa, California, where her family spent summers camping and exploring the coasts, redwoods, and other diverse landscapes. Northern California provided the scenic backdrop for the beginnings of her photography.

Krysia originally studied photography for a number of semesters out of high school where she learned film and darkroom processes, which solidified her love of the medium. Life was to take her to art school, but a sharp decision took her to Southern California instead where she began what would become a long career in banking. Photography took a backseat as she worked full-time and studied to obtain her B.A. degree in geography. She picked up her camera again in 2011 and began customizing the photographic education she had always wanted. She continues to take workshops with respected and inspiring photographers as she seeks to expand her photographic knowledge.

Krysia’s work has been included in exhibitions at SE Center for Photography in Greenville, SC, PhotoPlace Gallery in Middlebury, VT, PH21 Gallery in Budapest, Hungary, and Los Angeles Center of Photography. She has received a juror’s selection and honorable mention for images at the New York Center for Photographic Arts, and received runner-up in the Maine Media Storytelling contest.

Krysia currently lives in Long Beach, California with her boyfriend and cat.

COVE by Kathryn ReichertHONORABLE MENTION(Click on image for larger view)

Kathryn Reichert says, "The series “How My Son Sees It” began as an attempt to capture the spirit that my son imparts on his toys when he plays with them. I would find myself overwhelmed by his absolute absorption in these imaginary worlds he created just for them. To him, they are much more than plastic animals; they are ambassadors from a far-away place and commanders of great adventures. To me, his love for his partners-in-crime has been a constant reminder of the happiness and curiosity that comes with letting our imaginations run wild and exist in other places, even if only for an afternoon.

All of these images were created with plastic toy animals, roughly three inches in length. Their individual habitats were constructed with various household supplies, including paper, mirrors, flour, ice, decorative stones and fake household plants."

Kathryn Reichert was born and raised in New Jersey. Her restlessness and love of adventure kept her traveling along the eastern seaboard whenever possible and she found she enjoyed photographing all of the moments along the way. She was stationed in Alaska as a soldier in the US Army for a few years and loved it there so much that she has remained since.

She returned to school in 2015 to pursue bachelors degrees in both business and the arts at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Her current projects utilize forced perspective and manipulation as a means of exploring imaginary places and "what-if" scenarios. She mainly shoots digital imagery but enjoys incorporating film and alternative processes into her workflow.

Her work has been shown in galleries across the US and internationally. Some recent exhibitions she has participated in include “People and Winter” with the Blank Wall Gallery in Athens, Greece, “Vernacular” with L.A. Photo Curator, “Transformations” with the PA Center for Photography and “64th Parallel” with the Fairbanks Arts Association in Fairbanks, AK. She has also recently had worked published in ArtAscent Art & Literature Journal and The Hand Magazine. She was also awarded an Honorable Mention in Photographer’s Forum 38th Annual Best of College and High School Photography Contest.

Karen Klinedinst says, "I draw my inspiration from 19th century landscape painting ranging from Thomas Cole, George Innes and The Hudson River School painters to Caspar David Friedrich. Similar to these painters, I interpret the landscape and how it affects me emotionally and spiritually. My approach is not about capturing reality, but creating a neo-Romantic world reflective of my memory and imagination.

The Egret Trilogy (The Hunter, The Scout, The Congregation) was photographed at Black Marsh Natural Area, property once owned by the Bethlehem Steel Company and just 30 minutes outside Baltimore City where I live. The property was originally used as private retreat for Bethlehem Steel executives, and later donated to the State of Maryland. Despite being surrounded by heavy industry, Black Marsh is a relatively undisturbed tidal freshwater/brackish wetland considered to be one of the finest examples of a tidal marsh on the upper Chesapeake Bay. It’s a magical place and a refuge for several rare, threatened or endangered birds."

Karen Klinedinst is an artist based in Baltimore, Maryland. For over 20 years, she has maintained a fine art photography practice focused on place, nature and the environment. She is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) in Baltimore.

Her landscapes have been exhibited widely, including Massoni Art Gallery, South x Southeast Photo Gallery, Adkins Arboretum, Soho Photo Gallery, The Center for Fine Art Photography, Griffin Museum of Photography, and the Biggs Museum of American Art. Here work is in the collection of the National Park Service.

She was a 2004 Platte Clove artist-in-residence at the Catskills Center for Conservation and Development, and a 2006 National Park Service artist-in-residence at Acadia National Park in Maine. In 2015, was awarded an Individual Artist Award from the Maryland State Arts Council.

BABY'S BREATH WITH LIAM by Judy BrownSECOND PLACE WINNER(Click on image for larger view)

Judy Brown says, "As a child growing up in a small town in Texas I dreamed of living on a farm surrounded by animals.
In suburban Massachusetts a couple of years ago, I discovered that my fantasy farm exists just up the street. Visiting the farm I formed attachments with the animals and have made images in my style developed over the last decade. Concentrating on fine detail not apparent to the naked eye, I find beauty in dirty faces and dripping saliva.

My images focus closely on individual animals. I capture their personalities and humanlike qualities - their questions, their curiosity, their wish for affection, and their offer of friendship along with their ever powerful appetites. Ideally I hope my images might help lead to more humane treatment for these animal such as advocated by Temple Grandin; and to a view of them as similar to our pets and worthy of being a "cause" like the prevention of cruelty to domestic animals."

Following a career as Professor of Physics at Wellesley College and Research Scientist at the MIT Media Lab, Judy Brown has combined her long-time passions for animals and photography. She is particularly interested in form, texture, and lighting in images and is attracted to subjects for their simplicity and beauty of form. Her "Elliott" portfolio of a spirited pony in his stall has been given a number of solo shows including two in Griffin Museum satellite galleries and an MIT Architecture Department Tele-exhibit. Six images from the portfolio "Far from the Madding Crowd" will be shown in a two person show at the Griffin Museum Satellite gallery, Sowa, this spring.

Selections from her "Antique Skin" and "Elliott" portfolios as well as other images have been selected for over a dozen juried exhibitions including Asbury University, Wilmore, KY "The Horse: A Juried Exhibit" ,Texas Photographic Society Members Only Show , and SE Center for Photography "The Contemporary Nude". Most recently she has spent much of her time photographing the animals on a farm in South Natick, MA consummating a childhood passion for farms and animals while growing up in rural Texas.
In the last decade Brown has taken several courses at Rhode Island School of Design and New England School of Photography.

She has also taken studio art courses in drawing and design at Wellesley College. Workshops include Equine Photography in Southern France with Tony Stromberg, Maine Media's "A Certain Alchemy" with Keith Carter, and Atelier 26 with Meg Birnbaum at the Griffin Museum of Photography.

POLY WITH LIAM AND KAYLA by Judy Brown(Click on image for larger view)

RAUL EXPARZA by Judy Brown(Click on image for larger view)

WOKE UP TO A 300 POUND GORILLA by Jan Arrigo(Click on image for larger view)

Jan Arrigo says, "Once upon a time a photographer, thinking she is dreaming, discovers a moonlit jungle where she meets a bunch of wild animals.

Jungle Night invites the viewer inside a nocturnal world where expressive animal portraits and nature stills under moonlight are strung together as a tongue-in-cheek photo fable with a guiding theme. Like a carefully staged animal portrait session hi-jacked by a vivid memory, Jungle Night is a first person account by an artist confronted by the untamed.

This long term series collects zoo portraits and found still life studies from 1993 until 2018 that are edited to appear as if taken at night.

In working on this project I uncovered a metaphor about becoming an artist the long and slow way, that is, the opposite of overnight."

Jan Arrigo was born and raised in New Orleans to artist parents. She studied painting at the Art Student’s League; art history as a graduate student at CUNY; and photography at the International Center for Photography, where she volunteered as a museum docent. After graduating with a BA from Loyola University, Jan worked in media (publishing: Oxford University Press, Phaidon Press; advertising: Euro RSCG and as a freelance writer) in New York.

In 2002, a move to be with her soon to be husband in Louisiana prompted Jan to leave the Northeast and revisit art through photography. Following Hurricane Katrina she came to live down the street from the lake house that was lost (to a tornado) in the storm and she began to photograph the unusual scenery in the vicinity. This became a long term project entitled “The Hurricane Quartet.” (2005-2017).

Fueled by a concern with what disappears, Jan creates sequenced portfolios as stories you feel.

Jan's work has been shown in exhibitions throughout the United States including: nationally at Soho Photo in New York, where she curated Surreal New York.; Brickworks Gallery in Atlanta; SE Center for Photography, Greenville, South Carolina, the New Orleans Photo Alliance Gallery, the Contemporary Arts Center in New Orleans, and at The St. Tammany Art Association’s Art House Gallery for the 2017 juried Summer Show, (selected by William Fagaly, Curator Emeritus, New Orleans Museum of Art). Recent curated group shows include Portraits, as selected by Elizabeth Avedon for sxsephotogallery.com and Tree Talk as selected by Paula Tognarelli for www.griffinmuseum.org/show/tree-talk-on-line-exhibition/ on view until May 5.

Her 2016 solo show: Jan Arrigo: The Corpse is the Wax Museum, Photos from the Musee Conti in conjunction with Photo Nola, was held over to 2017 at The Valiant Theatre.

Her work has been published and praised twice in the popular blog A Photo Editor and has appeared in Country Roads Magazine and The Times-Picayune.

Her writing has been published in The American Art Book, (Phaidon Press), The Encyclopedia of Sculpture (Routledge Press), and she is the author of four books about New Orleans.

Jan currently resides in Louisiana with her husband and partner in travel adventures.

WHEN A BIRD STARES STRAIGHT AT YOU by Jan Arrigo(Click on image for larger view)

BEAR STARE by Jan Arrigo(Click on image for larger view)

TO SEE THE CAGE IS TO LEAVE IT by Heather Williamson(Click on image for larger view)

Heather Williamson says, "Have you ever gazed into the eyes of another being?
Said nothing, no need...
Because you both understand... Feelings. Feeling...

Animals save my life. I look to them for direction and advice.
I also just like to look at them and wonder...
Animals help me become closer with myself, unconditional... Lovers
They truly are, somethin' else.
Sometimes I feel as if I can understand them and they can understand me,
We Speak... The same language.
And ya know? Maybe they can understand me, if any "thing" could, it would be the creatures not man.

Animals are in my dreams and in my imagination and animals respond to energy, just as you and I do.
We all are made from "Power" aren't we?
Now what, who, or what kind of power I ain't too sure.
I will say, when I'm around animals, creatures, beings...
I feel at home. I feel OK. I feel them. I feel me.
Most notably,
I feel alive. I feel life. I feel free.
If we're all made from Power, this means we can make give and receive... Power.
This is what the Animals and their Kingdom give me...
The Power To See
The Power To Be

Hello, my name is Heather. It's been some years to say my name and feel good about it. Many lives I've lived and had to rid (in just this lifetime) and I've realized, my name can be very important. It can be the name associated with the ones who are forgotten, and it can be the name I go to when I have forgotten about myself. Photography is in the air I breathe. It allows me to feel something other than me, but it also allows me to see something that is me in everything. When I don't want to feel a certain way or if I'm not feeling at all, the subjects of my work offer me courage, strength, empathy, and humility. They help me continue.

Sometimes I'm the only one who can see "it" and most times, it's suffering. (Occasionally it's happiness and that's when I can get a bit envious)"

Williamson makes short films and is a bit obsessed with recording... Everything. She records herself and possibly you too. She calls these, "Noisy Letters".

MY MOUTH IT TASTES LIKE SUGAR by Heather Williamson(Click on image for larger view)

THIS IS WHAT LOVE MAY LOOK LIKE by Heather Williamson(Click on image for larger view)

I THINK I CAN RIDE THIS by Elizabeth Simonsen(Click on image for larger view)

Elizabeth Simonsen says, "Photography, for me, is the means to tell a story. What other medium could possibly convey a lifetime by capturing a single moment?

Through my work, I seek to turn photography into narrative, unraveling mysteries and revealing hidden truths. I believe that a well-executed photograph can silence the perpetual hum of humankind, the background noise that typically renders us unobservant to what is right before us. A good photograph does more than make one think; it shuts out the rest of the world and allows one the peace to swallow the story whole.

Everything has a story to tell, if you let it. The old teapot can tell you all the people it's served and how it got the chip in the spout. The three legged dog has a lifetime of stories about squirrels and balls and children who have loved him. The abandoned drive-in was once magnificent and is eager to remind you of its glory days. I find my inspiration in the narrative of all things, and I strive to both document and translate as I go."

Elizabeth Simonsen spent her formative years in a small town in southern Maryland which has since been reclaimed by the wilderness, so when she says that she was raised by wolves, you could do well to believe her. Growing up in a state forest teaches one a few things, and what wasn't learned from exposure to nature early on was learned through trial and error on an old Canon FT. Elizabeth started taking photographs as a means of connecting with landscape and wildlife, but over time, she came to embrace other formats that would allow her to tell more stories.

Elizabeth has traveled across the United States and Europe, photographing political uprisings and acts of resistance. She has had work in shows in the United States, Italy, and New Zealand. Currently, Elizabeth is preparing to travel across the southern US to document rural queerness and is anticipating a trip north from her current home in Texas to document the impending teacher strikes across the country.

HELP I CAN'T SWIM by Elizabeth Simonsen(Click on image for larger view)

COME ON by Elizabeth Simonsen(Click on image for larger view)

EQUINE STATUE by Eli Barnes(Click on image for larger view)

Eli Barnes says, "My work is a collection of stolen moments breathing in the scent of horses and documenting the countless flashes of voiceless communication.

With a flicker of movement or a breath of air, a connection between two distinct species is established and two worlds connect at a single pressure point; one a world of instinct and the other a world of intellect. My focus pulled towards the moments of connection and trust bestowed on humans who are invited into the realm of the horse, expanding beyond to include the broad expanse of species that deign to interact with mankind."

Eli Barnes is a photographer and artist living and working in the Great Plains. Born in Kansas and raised in the rural backdrop of the plains, her work comes from a connection to the land and the effect of humans on the natural environment. She received a BFA in Photo Media from the University of Kansas. Her work has been displayed in galleries and libraries in Lawrence, Kansas as well as the PhotoPlace Gallery in Vermont and several university traveling exhibitions. Her work has also been included in collaborative publications including Femme Fotale.

UNDERWORLD WANDERER by Donna Tramontozzi(Click on image for larger view)

Donna Tramontozzi says, "A spider, a pelican and a turtle -- each with a different life force. These images attempt to capture what seems peculiar to the animal when I was photographing.

In Chromatic Euphoria, the spider works every day in an ephemeral universe, creating a pragmatic construction that inspires with its brilliance. The pelican in Ancient Hauteur, interrupts its stately scan to peer at today's passing scene. The Underworld Wanderer, a turtle, slowly searches in the dark murk. Each in their own way."

Boston-based Donna Tramontozzi explores the natural world and the human experience through her photography. An avid traveler, Donna uses the photographic possibilities she finds in new places to deepen her understanding of the world. A former high tech executive and business owner, she now seeks to create images that convey the joy and surprise that the world offers.

Donna has studied at the Santa Fe Photographic workshops and participated in Atelier 22, 23 and 25 at the Griffin Museum of Photography. Her work has been shown in solo and juried group shows.

CHROMATIC EUPHORIA by Donna Tramontozzi(Click on image for larger view)

ANCIENT HAUTEUR by Donna Tramontozzi(Click on image for larger view)

PEACOCK PIPER by Dianne Yudelson(Click on image for larger view)

Dianne Yudelson says, "These images serve to celebrate the animal kingdom. My fascination with photography began upon the realization that, in addition to being a wonderful means of documentation, photography can also be used as a fine art medium.

My style is eclectic. I embrace the challenge of exploring varied subjects and forms of expression. By that I mean, neither subject matter nor genre solely defines my images; they are defined by my artistic aesthetic. When inspiration lays a new path before me, I gladly take a detour. I am motivated to create by the hope of evoking emotion that continues to resonate across time.”

Dianne’s images have been published in over 50 countries on 6 continents including The Huffington Post, Slate Magazine, Washington Post, International New York Times, The New Yorker, CNN and the Daily Mail. Dianne’s work has been exhibited in Spain, France, Scotland, Georgia, Malaysia, Thailand, and all throughout the United States.

Dianne is a two time Critical Mass Finalist and a Julia Margaret Cameron Award winner in documentary and street photography. Recent group exhibitions include the MOMA Tbilisi Georgia, Natural History Museum in San Diego California, National Geographic Museum, Griffin Museum of Photography, The FENCE in Photoville and The Center for Fine Art Photography. Dianne’s top honors include "Photographer of the Year" titles from three acclaimed international competitions; Black and White Spider Awards, International Color Awards, and World Photography Gala Awards

Dianne graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of California, Berkeley. Her graduate studies were attended at University of Notre dame.

Dianne says,“Throughout my life art has been the one true common thread, the stitches that bind my chapters together. As a photographic artist, I embrace the ability to spotlight my point of view and give a voice to my imagination."

Dean and Laura Larson are both artists and also a married couple that collaborate on the creation of digital archival images.

Their first collaboration was decorating an angel for the 2001 “Community of Angeles” project in Los Angeles, CA. In the last 3 years, Dean and Laura have begun to collaborate on digital images from their journeys to France and the Baltic region. They have shown their work together at the historic landmark Fine Arts Building in downtown Los Angeles and are preparing for another joint show at the Los Angeles Art Association for the fall of 2018.

Laura Larson grew up in Chicago surrounded by the influence of the Chicago Imagists. Her work reflects the dual interests of story-telling and theatrical production – the building blocks for her consistent interest in Sculptural Installations and Narrative Tableau.

In the late 1970’s Laura moved to Los Angeles where she became involved in the feminist art movement including participation in Judy Chicago’s The Dinner Party, a controversial, ground­–breaking feminist art piece, The Women’s Caucus for the Arts, and Rachel Rosenthal’s “DBD” workshop. Over the last 10 years Larson’s work has touched on 2 main topics: our relationship to nature and our animal co-inhabitants; and investigations into the cultural, historical, spiritual through lines of the female trinity: mind, body and spirit.

In 2012 she began a series of bronze sculptures of small animal/human hybrids in mourning cloaks. They mourn for themselves as the rate of animal extinction on our planet increases. To date Laura has created 15 sculptures and she intends to produce 40. A few years ago she began to collaborate with Dean on images that included these sculptures, which led to 3 exhibitions, “A Journey in Time: Part 1 & 2 (2016 & 2017) at the Fine Arts Building and an upcoming exhibition for 2018 at the Los Angeles Art Association/Gallery 825.

Laura Larson has exhibited her work extensively throughout Southern California, including The Riverside Art Museum and a solo show at the Museum of Art and History in Lancaster, CA. She has been commissioned for multiple public art installations throughout Los Angeles County and Pasadena. Laura graduated from Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin, receiving a dual Bachelor of Arts degree in fine art and theatre arts. Both Dean and Laura have received the Artist Resource for Completion Grant from the Durfee Foundation.

Dean Larson is a SoCal native, born in Pasadena, currently living in Hollywood. His father was a hobbyist photographer with a darkroom in the garage. He always wanted to share his passion for photography with Dean, but it wasn’t until he reached college that Dean realized that Photography was the creative outlet he’d been searching for. This realization led to a 36-plus year career as a photography teacher for the Los Angeles Unified School District, with his students winning hundreds of awards and prizes in art competitions at the local, state, and national level. Many have gone on to have successful careers in photography.

At the same time, Dean also pursued his own course as a free-lance and fine art photographer. Over the past 25 years Dean has been in over 50 gallery shows, both solo, and invitational exhibitions, as well as other group shows. For many years he created hand colored black and white analog images. In the last decade he’s become interested in manipulating digital images. The IdealEstate series, short for Idealized Real Estate presented Hollywood bungalows in a black and white Hollywood Glamour style, with all of the imperfections removed.

This series was first shown at the Los Angeles Art Associations Gallery 825 in Los Angeles. “The Manipulated Image” was a three-part show (Cloudscapes, The Canal Houses of Venice, and Slice of Life) exhibited in four gallery spaces at the Cal Poly Pomona Downtown Center for the Arts in Pomona, CA. “HydroGraphics”, shown at dnj Gallery in Santa Monica, was a graphic depiction of the ocean’s movements. Recently he created a series inspired by the age and architecture of France, which was incorporated into the Larson's collaborative exhibits at the Fine Arts Building, entitled “A Journey In Time: Part 1 & 2.” A photo trip to the Baltic Sea will be incorporated into their exhibit at the Los Angeles Art Association/Gallery 825 exhibit in September.

Laura Larson says, "Dean Larson and I have a combined history of approximately 88 years of experience in the field of art. Our longevity derives from our passion for the arts. Our inspiration comes from many places, quite often each other. After 30 years of marriage, we have found that not only do we complete each other’s sentences, but we also complete each other’s digitally manipulated images. Drawing from Dean’s love of architecture and my fascination with medieval sculpture, we have begun to combine our photographic images from various locations, especially from Europe.

These images speak to history and the ghostly remembrances of those who walked amongst ancient edifices, hallowed halls, cobbled streets as well as interiors inhabited by hybrid animal/human creatures in mourning cloaks. The creatures seem to be gathering, whispering, stopping at various locations. Are they tourists? Perhaps they are ancient aliens retracing their steps, visiting old haunts, looking for comrades. Or perhaps they are travelers from a parallel universe who will bring words of warning – or if too late – mourning.

IN THE MOUNTAINS by Dale NilesHONORABLE MENTION(Click on image for larger view)

Dale Niles says, "I have taken photos for over 40 years, from film to digital, from wet darkroom to the digital darkroom of the computer.

Photography is one way that I am able to experience the moment and reconnect with myself. I am quite eclectic in the subjects I choose to shoot, anything is fair game. I look to create a story when I shoot or create an image. I like to spin a tale.
​
My wish is that my imagery creates an intimate conversation that takes the viewer to a place of quiet contemplation because it is my visual representation of conversation and feelings.

My photography creates a legacy of all the sacred and beautiful things that I am privileged to experience in my time here. The fragility of life is a catalyst for me to do what I can to preserve it one frame at a time and in doing so I hope that it says that I too existed. I had an accident when I was younger where I nearly lost my sight in one eye and I believe that has made me want to visually soak up everything I see and preserve it.
​
I was born in Norfolk, Virginia and raised in small North Carolina towns. I spent my younger years moving from place to place as my dad was a civil engineer who designed bridges and the family moved once the job was completed. I currently live in Fayette County, Georgia."

Dale Niles was born in Norfolk, Virginia. She received her BA in sociology from Lenoir Rhyne College in Hickory, NC. Upon graduation she interned as a probation officer.

Online her work has appeared in NYC4PA "One" exhibit, Chromatic Photo Awards​, International Photography awards, Santa Fe Workshops, Moscow International Foto Awards and she was awarded the gold prize in the Tokyo International Foto Awards.

BURBANK by Beth DubberHONORABLE MENTION(Click on image for larger view)

Beth Dubber says, "I love photographing people.

I enjoy my many interactions with strangers as well as familiar faces. With each person, I receive new information, about life, experience, things I never thought I would learn from others. Being open to these exchanges adds richness to my life, to me as a person. Regarding my photography, I hope the viewer may feel familiarity, comfort, curiosity, and joy when looking at my images.

My main squeeze is my digital 35mm Canon; I also use my Hasselblad medium format camera. Sometimes I experiment with my Zeiss lenses on my digital camera, I also have a Holga toy lens for fun."

Born and raised in Cleveland, OH., Dubber earned double B.A.’s, one in German and the other in Studio Art from Cleveland State University.

Making her way to Los Angeles in 2003, she began a career as a unit set photographer in the entertainment industry where she currently works on feature films and television.

Her fine art photography has been published in the NY Times Lens Blog, US of America Magazine, numerous online exhibitions and has show work in many groups show in and around LA as well as Cleveland, Ohio.